It is well known in the art that butadiene, an important monomer for the production of various polymers, can be produced by dehydrogenation of butane. During this process various byproducts are produced. These byproducts must be removed to produce butadiene that can be polymerized, e.g. into rubber polymers. One byproduct that has particular disadvantages is vinyl acetylene. This highly unsaturated compound is a poison for the catalysts that polymerize butadiene. Polymerization-grade butadiene, therefore, should contain less than 50 ppm, sometimes less than 10 ppm, vinyl acetylene.